Mobile sheet rack



Patented Aug. 24, 1954 MOBILE SHEET RACK Elmer F. Goetz, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Williams and Company, Incorporated, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 5, 195'3, serial No. 335,261

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in sheet racks for storing highly polished sheet, such as stainless steel, on edge, without marring or buckling of the sheet, and which shall be adapted to be transported by the attachment of a tongue lift.

In the handling of highly polished stainless steel or other meta-l sheets 4damage results from the handling of the sheets when stored in warehouses or other points of use. It has also been a serious problem to mount the sheet material in a manner to eliminate strain that would cause deformation of the sheet when stored for any great length of time.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide sheet racks which are adapted to store such sheet material by stacking it on edge on the racks which are provided with uprights converging at the top to support the sheet in an angular position.

It is a, further object of the invention to provide a sheet rack of durable construction having non-metallic liners such as wood to prevent marring of the face and edges of the sheet or plate.

It i's still a further object of the invention to provide a sheet rack which when used for storage is immobile and supported on stationary feet and which can be converted to a dirigible mobile unit by the application of a tongue lift at one end thereof.

These and other objects of the 'invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawing constituting a part hereof in which like reference characters designate like parts and in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a sheet rack embodying the principles of this invention, and

Fig. 2 a front elevational View thereof with a wheeled lifting jack attached thereto, the lifting jack being shown in perspective.

With reference to the several gures of the drawing, the numeral I designates a pair of structural steel angle members extending longitudinally, having transverse channels 2 joined thereto as by welding, the longitudinal and transverse members I and 2 constituting a. chassis provided with wheel 3 that are mounted on brackets 4 attached to a transverse channel member 5. The front of the chassis is provided with feet 6 on which it rests when used for storage, the front transverse member 2 being provided with a pivot pin 'I for receiving a tongue lift, Fig. 2, designated by the numeral 8, the jack being pro- 1 Claim. (Cl. 280-46) 2 vided with a tongue 9 4and handle I0, the tongue being subjected to vertical angular movement to raise the jack 8 which lifts the feet 6 from the ground for moving the frame in transporting the sheet material. A plurality of angle bars II are secured to the channels 2 and are cut away at I2 to converge at the top. the angle-bars being reinforced by a structural steel member I3 extending longitudinally of the rack which is secured to the uprights II preferably by welding. A plurality of non-metallic liners, such as wood blocks I4, are fastened to the transverse channel member 2 and wood liners I5 are secured to the angle members I I. Longitudinally disposed wood timbers I are supported on the liners I5 and secured to the angles II asshown in the several views. The sheets designated by the numeral I'I, such as stainless steel and of substantial width and length are placed on edge on the transverse liners. I4 as shown in Fig. 2l with the faces of the inside sheet resting against the wood liners I5 and I6. The angular position of the uprights I I is such that the sheets I1 cannot be displaced or accidentally fall oi the sheet rack without upsetting the chassis, and once the sheets are mounted in the rack they can be transported or stored indefinitely at the place of' manufacture or use. The sheet rack may be assembled in rows and adjacent one another to take up a minimum of storage space and yet be accessible for transportation by merely attaching the wheeled jack to the connecting pin I of the rack.

Although one embodiment of the invention has f been herein illustrated and described, it wi11 be evident to those skilled in the art that various modiiications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the principles herein set forth. y

I claim:

A portable sheet rack comprising a chassis frame having longitudinal and transverse structural steel members, the longitudinal members forming an edge flange, non-metallic liners extending transversely of the frame and longitudinally spaced opposed structural upright steel members supported on said frame converging at the top and having a longitudinal reinforcing bar secured thereto adjacent the upper ends of all of said opposed upright members, said uprights havingnon-metallic liners for engaging the face of the material supported on its edge on the transverse liners, a pair of wheels supporting the rack chassis adjacent one end thereof and a pivot pin at the other end on the under side of the chassis directly beneath said longitudinal reinforcing bar and extending downwardly to be adapted for a. pivotal connection with a tongue lift under the end frame of the chassis to constitute the pivot pin as an attachment point to a dirigible support when the rack is to be moved, said chassis:havingydepending'members at the end remotefffromi the supporting wheelsA constituting feet when the rack is stationary.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 5 1,213,032 1,728,839 2,111,554 

